Many franchise resources are available online. Some from franchise associations, the Federal Trade Commission and states that regulate franchising, and others from business publications and the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising to name a few.
Below is a comprehensive list of online resources:
Associations
General Information
Legal Resources
Federal - National
State Resoures
State Franchise Administrators, Agencies & Laws
State Business Opportunity Administrators & Laws
Franchise Articles by Jim Meaney
State Franchise Administrators, Agencies and
Laws:
California (filing required)
Hawaii (filing required)
Illinois (filing required)
Indiana (filing required)
Maryland (filing required)
Michigan (notice filing
required)
Minnesota
(filing required - e-filing accepted)
New York (filing required)
North Dakota (filing
required)
Oregon (no filing)
Rhode Island (filing
required)
South Dakota (filing
required)
Virginia (filing required)
Washington (filing required)
Wisconsin (filing required
– e-filing accepted)
A number of states regulate “Business Opportunities”:
Alaska (filing
required)
California (filing
required)
- Seller
Assisted Marketing Plan Act
- Attorney
General's Office
110 West A Street,
Suite 1100
San Diego, CA 92101
Toll-free in
California only (800) 952-5225
Out-of-state callers
(619) 645-2050
Connecticut (filing
required)
Florida (filing
required)
Georgia (no filing
required)
Illinois (filing
required)
- General
Information
- Illinois Securities
Department
Jefferson Terrace
300 West Jefferson
St., Suite 300A
Springfield, IL
62702
(217)782-2256
Fax (217) 782-8876
Indiana (filing
required)
Iowa
- Securities Bureau
Second Floor
Lucas State Office
Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-4441
Kentucky (filing
required)
Louisiana (bond
filing required)
Maine (filing
required)
Maryland (filing
required)
- Attorney General's
Office
Securities Division
200 St. Paul Pl.
Baltimore, MD 21202
(301) 576-6360
Michigan (notice
required)
Minnesota (filing
required)
Nebraska (filing
required)
New Hampshire
(filing required)
- Attorney General's
Office
Consumer Protection Division
State House Annex
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-3641
North Carolina
(filing required)
Ohio (no filing
required)
Oklahoma (filing
required unless exempt)
South Carolina
(filing required)
South Dakota (filing
required)
Texas (filing
required)
Utah (filing
required)
Virginia (no filing
required)
Washington (filing
required)
Articles
Jim Meaney has authored and co-authored a number of franchise papers that have been published by the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising and presented at its Annual Forum. He is indebted to the co-authors who assisted with the development of these papers and to the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising for the opportunity to present these papers:
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James A. Meaney
614.975.9876 
jmeaney@zainolawgroup.com

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